Monday, November 17 &
Tuesday, November 18
Aside from a short stint in Narragansett, Rhode Island, Caitlin Bennett is a proud, life-long New Hampshire resident. A former school librarian, she is a Digital Learning Specialist in Londonderry. She focuses her energy on the most relevant programming for her faculty, staff, and learners. As a passionate NH educator, Caitlin believes NH is filled with strong educators, who can learn so much from one another. To that end, she thrives in the NH education community. She is a NHSLS Past-President and was recognized with Jessica Payeur in 2020 as the NHSLMA School Library Program of the Year. When not working, she is spending time with family and friends, building Legos, solving puzzles, playing outside, cheering at youth sports, or discovering a new playground.
Caitlin’s session is titled Make Your Grass Greener: Choosing Tenacity in Your Professional Work and is scheduled for Tuesday, from 10:20-11:10
Listen, solve, juggle, repeat -- the rallying cry for all Ed Leaders: coaches, librarians, specialists, admin, and lead teachers. The to-do list never ends, and we often spend our jobs in the gray area between what we can control and what we wish we could control. We call out the hard truths, discover mindsets to remain focused, and leave with an actionable plan to cultivate with matters most.
Pam led technology for 19 years in the Alton and Concord School Districts, and was the first named CISO in the Concord School District. During that time, she served as President of NHSTE and was a co-founder and President of NHCTO. Pam co-founded the NHCTO student privacy alliance, was an Alton school board member for 7 years, and also served on the board of the NH School Boards Association. She was recognized as NH Technology Leader of the Year with the NHSTE Susan Janosz award in 2012. Pam moved to ACT in 2023, where she is the information security lead for a data-driven, global public benefit education assessment company serving millions of students each year. With a career rooted in the education sector, Pam builds positive team cultures, breaks down complex technical topics for non-technical audiences, and manages challenging projects. Pam is passionate about digital transformation, modern work, and the practical applications of AI. She lives in the Lakes Region of NH with her husband and occasional visits from two college-age sons.
Pam’s session is titled Strategic IT & Cybersecurity: 10 Takeaways for K-12 and is scheduled for Tuesday from 11:40-12:30.
Are you ready to elevate your district's IT and cybersecurity program to new heights? Despite the challenges of limited staff and budgets, schools can adopt powerful, practical measures from industry leaders. Join our former colleague Pam McLeod -- who now leads cybersecurity for a global assessment company, ACT -- as she unveils 10 game-changing lessons for school district technology leaders, superintendents, and administrators, inspired by corporate best practices in cybersecurity and IT management. Dive into topics like security exceptions, IT change management, separation of duties, and IT staffing tiers, and transform your approach to technology!
Pam will also be participating as a member of the Tuesday keynote panel.
Rebecca is the founder of AI Navigator, bringing a wealth of experience and a deep love for learning to her latest educational endeavor. With degrees in Computer Science, Elementary Education, and Educational Leadership, she offers a unique perspective on integrating technology thoughtfully. Rebecca's diverse career includes roles as a K-12 and post-secondary teacher, district tech director, building administrator, and district administrator. This extensive background gives her a comprehensive understanding of the daily challenges in creating engaging and authentic learning opportunities for students. Her current research focuses on using AI to ease the cognitive load of special education teachers, helping to design personalized learning opportunities for students and reducing educator burnout.
Rebecca’s first session is titled Student Agency, Innovation & Leadership (SAIL): Integrate AI with Impact and is scheduled for Monday from 11:40-12:30.
Teach students about AI through hands-on, engaging, real-world opportunities. SAIL stands for Student Agency, Innovation, and Leadership. Through SAIL, schools have an opportunity to implement a student group or Extended Learning Opportunity (ELO) focused on exploring and shaping the future of AI in their school and community. Students are not just learning about AI; they are actively working to understand its potential, address its ethical implications, and find creative ways to use it to solve real-world problems. SAIL empowers students to become leaders in the field of AI, giving them the skills and the platform to make a real difference. Learn about AI, discuss its ethical considerations, and even develop their own AI-powered solutions for problems they identify. Ultimately, SAIL is about giving students a voice in how AI shapes our world.
Rebecca’s second session is titled AI as an Educator's Thought Partner and is scheduled for Tuesday from 9:00-10:00.
Spark innovation and amplify your teaching voice by leveraging generative AI as a thought partner. This interactive session explores the practical strategies and the clear roadmap needed when integrating AI tools into your teaching practice. Navigate the critical groundwork necessary at the district level to ensure responsible and effective AI integration. This includes a practical way to implement the guidelines and toolkits provided to educators through various organizations. Explore how various AI tools can be used to enhance creative lesson ideas, differentiate instruction for diverse learners, develop engaging activities, and streamline administrative tasks all while ensuring that the human element of teaching remains at the forefront. Expect hands-on exploration of AI tools and a robust discussion around "what works and why," sharing successes and addressing challenges together. Leave with actionable insights and the confidence to harness AI as a powerful colleague in your mission to cultivate a more personalized, engaging, and impactful learning experience for every student.
